Bass Fishing Forum - Westernbass.com

Assemblymember Fuller has introduced AB 2336 into the State Legislature to terminate the management and protection of the public's striped bass fishery that inhabits the Bay-Delta estuary. The bill mandates the elimination of all regulations that govern the legal harvest of the fishery thereby eliminating its sport fishing protective status. Even though this would virtually destroy the fishery, the author alleges this is necessary to reduce striped bass predation on salmon and Delta smelt protected by the state and federal Endangered Species Acts.

This bill is similar to the one the Fuller introduced last year that was defeated by a coalition of angling groups and anglers led by CSPA. In concert. That bill was killed in its first committee hearing because the false arguments used by the author significantly overstated the impact of striped bass predation. Scientific testimony by the panel opposed to the bill made it clear that striped bass rarely, if ever, eat Delta smelt and that predation on listed salmon is so low that it does not impact the population level of the salmon protected by the endangered species act.

This bill also calls for the elimination of striped bass program enhancement, expansion or improvement of the fishery. Ironically, such programs do not exist! It also requires the Delta Stewardship Council to establish programs to discourage the promotion of the Bay-Delta striped bass as a sport fishery. It further requires the Stewardship Council to evaluate predator suppression options and make recommendations to remedy predation problems.

CSPA finds it absolutely arrogant that Fuller and her bills supporters would advocate the destruction of this valuable public resource again! Why should they be allowed to usurp the professional management and legal authority the government has given the Department of Fish & Game and the federal fishery agencies to manage fisheries and protect species listed under the ESA? These agencies scientists know a great deal more about the striped bass fishery and the impacts it has on species of concern. They understand and what it means for fisheries to co-exist in a dynamic estuarine ecosystem.

So, why are the bills proponents focused on destroying the striped bass fishery instead of dealing with the huge problems Delta water export has caused to all the estuarys fisheries? Why aren’t they fixing the problems cause by the state and federal water projects that have destroyed the estuarys natural hydrology and the resiliency of its ecosystem? Why haven’t they immediately reduced the significant over allocation of the publics water exported out of the Delta?

The bills supporters all seem to be dependent on water exported from the Delta. This attack is simply another way to misdirect the government away from the real environmental impacts associated with the development and export of the Delta water supplies!

CSPA is calling on anglers and the public to help us make another legislative stand by raising your voice in opposition to this bill. Send your letters to the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife (as addressed below), By April 7th and be sure to copy your Assembly member and specifically request they support your opposition to AB 2336 by letting this committee know of their opposition! The Committee Chairman is a strong supporter of the professional management of the publics fish and wildlife resources, but we need a majority of the committee to oppose the bill. The Committees FAX number is 916-319-2196.

Sample letter B be sure to put this in your own words.

Date

Assemblymember Jared Huffman, Chair
Assembly Committee on Water, Parks & Wildlife
1020 N Street, Suite 160
Sacramento, CA 94249

Re: My Opposition to AB 2336 (Fuller) - Striped Bass Eradication

Chairman Huffman and Members of the Committee:

I am writing to express my complete opposition to AB 2336. I=m outraged over supporters of the bill who think they have a right to destroy the striped bass fishery owned by the public which is a very valuable public resource. This fishery has co-existed with all the fisheries in the Bay-Delta estuary for 130 years and it has collapsed right along with our salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and the other fish dependent on the estuary.

Even in its degraded state it still manages to generate some $250 million annually to our state=s trouble economy. The issues of striped bass predation should be left to the state and federal fishery agencies that are charged with managing the public=s fishery resources. These are the professionals and scientists who have the expertise know how best to manage our fishery resources.

It is time the Legislature sent a message that divisive bills like AB 2336 will not be tolerated. Instead, the Legislature needs to focus on correcting the ecological crisis in the estuary that is destroying our fisheries, including the immense impacts that result from excessive water development and export out of the Delta. I will greatly appreciate your
efforts to help protect our priceless fishery heritage!

Sincerely,

Name
Address


Please remember CSPA needs your financial support to continue our efforts to protect and restore California's fishery resources. Send what you can to support these efforts by using Pay Pal on CSPA's website at http://www.calsport.org or mail your contributions to: CSPA 6597 Cane Lane, Valley Springs, CA 95252


Thanks for speaking up for the fish!

John Beuttler
Conservation Director
1360 Neilson Street
Berkeley, CA 94702
510.526.4049
JBeuttler@aol.com
http://www.calsport.org

If this bill pases, most assuredly the black bass will be next to be erradicated since it is a non-native spieces.

jimmyG wrote:If this bill pases, most assuredly the black bass will be next to be erradicated since it is a non-native spieces.

Exactly...and it is the STATED GOAL of these folks to go after Largemouth Bass next, after the legal precedent is set with Striped Bass. Go to www.calsport.org and donate some $$$ to help fight the fight!!!! Not only is there this legislation, but there is also a *current* lawsuit, right now, against DFG to get the striper regs pulled!!! It's all being done by the crooked SoCal water districts as part of a strategy to get more subsidized water....

Hmm, so will they just keep introducing a slightly tweaked version of this bill until it passes? How can something that was JUST shot down be proposed again in such a short period of time? What changes were made to make this any more valid than the last time they tried this?

Just went to her website to check her out, what a clueless waste of skin! She sent a letter to DFG about the lack of trout stocking in her area and the effects it has had on the local economy. So she wants to get rid of Stripers and then turn around and stock non native fish in her home area? Of course she said she thinks that the trout stocks will not really affect local minnows or native fish, how exactly is that? The Stripes and Salmon have been swimming together for over 100 years! Less than 10 years ago over 800,000 salmon came up the Sac. I have my own ideas on what happened to the Salmon, and the Stripers are not to blame.

Even if this bill passes to "eradicate" striped and/or black bass, do you think there will actually be money and time invested in this as opposed to just taking the approach of "caring a little less"?

Plain and simple, nothing short of poisoning the entire delta is going to eliminate striped or black bass speices. They are established species and aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

There wont be a substantial increase in harvest (anyone harvesting bass is already doing it, legal or not) and surely all of us recreational anglers aren't going to agree with the eradiaction program and suddenly decide to toss out fish up on the bank after catching them.

They can remove the limits on the species they want to get rid of. You say anyone who is going to harvest bass is already doing it but what about when they start leaving with 20 bass stringers instead of 5.

All you legal eagles out there can help out with this one.

What is the legal standard for something to be considered as non indigenous? Stripers were brought over from Europe in wooden barrels shortly after the pilgrims made thier foray into North America. These fish have been established for 130+ years and are distributed throughout Noth America.

If we want to start talking non-indigenous, then we better all pack our butts up and head back to Europe, Africa, and Asia because the only indigenous people of North America are Indians and Hispanics! The Chumash indians were the only indigenous people of the Malibu area, so I guess ol' Sean Penn,. Barbara Streisand, and thier likes better pack thier liberal arse's up and head out because the liberal politicans that they support want things the way they were.

I need to go kill something now.............

Bill Hutcheson wrote:Stripers were brought over from Europe in wooden barrels shortly after the pilgrims made thier foray into North America. These fish have been established for 130+ years and are distributed throughout Noth America.

Man, where'd you get that from? Striped bass are native to our Atlantic coast--not Europe. If they're in Europe, they were introduced from North America. Spouting misinformation doesn't lend our side much credibility...

Bill Hutcheson wrote:If we want to start talking non-indigenous, then we better all pack our butts up and head back to Europe, Africa, and Asia because the only indigenous people of North America are Indians and Hispanics!

Hispanic = European. More specifically, it denotes having Spanish or Iberian ancestry. Spain and the Iberian Peninsula are in Europe...

Thanks for correcting the history info Fish Food. Saved me the time!!!

Stony Plz sticky this and the largemouth letter by the A-Hole politicians,we can't afford to let these slip down the list!!!!!!

Here is the correct historical perspective from the Arkansas fish and game website:

In 1670, The Plymouth Colony started a free school with income from the striped bass fisheries, becoming the first public school in America.

Striped Bass were the subject of pioneering fish stocking efforts following settlers to the west coast In 1879 and again in 1881.

Striped bass were seined from the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers near Red Bank, New Jersey and transported by train in wooden barrels and milk cans across the continent to the San Francisco Bay. Still today this effort ranks as maybe the most successful Fish Stocking effort in the world.

The facts were all correct in my head, I just got mixed up in putting them on paper correctly. My apologies.

sTony wrote:Assemblymember Fuller has introduced AB 2336 into the State Legislature to terminate the management and protection of the public's striped bass fishery that inhabits the Bay-Delta estuary. The bill mandates the elimination of all regulations that govern the legal harvest of the fishery thereby eliminating its sport fishing protective status. Even though this would virtually destroy the fishery, the author alleges this is necessary to reduce striped bass predation on salmon and Delta smelt protected by the state and federal Endangered Species Acts.

This bill is similar to the one the Fuller introduced last year that was defeated by a coalition of angling groups and anglers led by CSPA. In concert. That bill was killed in its first committee hearing because the false arguments used by the author significantly overstated the impact of striped bass predation. Scientific testimony by the panel opposed to the bill made it clear that striped bass rarely, if ever, eat Delta smelt and that predation on listed salmon is so low that it does not impact the population level of the salmon protected by the endangered species act.

This bill also calls for the elimination of striped bass program enhancement, expansion or improvement of the fishery. Ironically, such programs do not exist! It also requires the Delta Stewardship Council to establish programs to discourage the promotion of the Bay-Delta striped bass as a sport fishery. It further requires the Stewardship Council to evaluate predator suppression options and make recommendations to remedy predation problems.

CSPA finds it absolutely arrogant that Fuller and her bills supporters would advocate the destruction of this valuable public resource again! Why should they be allowed to usurp the professional management and legal authority the government has given the Department of Fish & Game and the federal fishery agencies to manage fisheries and protect species listed under the ESA? These agencies scientists know a great deal more about the striped bass fishery and the impacts it has on species of concern. They understand and what it means for fisheries to co-exist in a dynamic estuarine ecosystem.

So, why are the bills proponents focused on destroying the striped bass fishery instead of dealing with the huge problems Delta water export has caused to all the estuarys fisheries? Why aren’t they fixing the problems cause by the state and federal water projects that have destroyed the estuarys natural hydrology and the resiliency of its ecosystem? Why haven’t they immediately reduced the significant over allocation of the publics water exported out of the Delta?

The bills supporters all seem to be dependent on water exported from the Delta. This attack is simply another way to misdirect the government away from the real environmental impacts associated with the development and export of the Delta water supplies!

CSPA is calling on anglers and the public to help us make another legislative stand by raising your voice in opposition to this bill. Send your letters to the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife (as addressed below), By April 7th and be sure to copy your Assembly member and specifically request they support your opposition to AB 2336 by letting this committee know of their opposition! The Committee Chairman is a strong supporter of the professional management of the publics fish and wildlife resources, but we need a majority of the committee to oppose the bill. The Committees FAX number is 916-319-2196.

Sample letter B be sure to put this in your own words.

Date

Assemblymember Jared Huffman, Chair
Assembly Committee on Water, Parks & Wildlife
1020 N Street, Suite 160
Sacramento, CA 94249

Re: My Opposition to AB 2336 (Fuller) - Striped Bass Eradication

Chairman Huffman and Members of the Committee:

I am writing to express my complete opposition to AB 2336. I=m outraged over supporters of the bill who think they have a right to destroy the striped bass fishery owned by the public which is a very valuable public resource. This fishery has co-existed with all the fisheries in the Bay-Delta estuary for 130 years and it has collapsed right along with our salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and the other fish dependent on the estuary.

Even in its degraded state it still manages to generate some $250 million annually to our state=s trouble economy. The issues of striped bass predation should be left to the state and federal fishery agencies that are charged with managing the public=s fishery resources. These are the professionals and scientists who have the expertise know how best to manage our fishery resources.

It is time the Legislature sent a message that divisive bills like AB 2336 will not be tolerated. Instead, the Legislature needs to focus on correcting the ecological crisis in the estuary that is destroying our fisheries, including the immense impacts that result from excessive water development and export out of the Delta. I will greatly appreciate your
efforts to help protect our priceless fishery heritage!

Sincerely,

Name
Address


Please remember CSPA needs your financial support to continue our efforts to protect and restore California's fishery resources. Send what you can to support these efforts by using Pay Pal on CSPA's website at http://www.calsport.org or mail your contributions to: CSPA 6597 Cane Lane, Valley Springs, CA 95252


Thanks for speaking up for the fish!

John Beuttler
Conservation Director
1360 Neilson Street
Berkeley, CA 94702
510.526.4049
JBeuttler@aol.com
http://www.calsport.org

SENT THANKS sTony